The Impact of Exercise on Serum Levels of Leptin and Adiponectin in Obese Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of exercise on serum levels of leptin and adiponectin in obese children and adolescents. Materials and Methods: A systematic search of the published Persian- and English-language studies from PubMed, Web of Science, SID, and Magiran databases was done using related keywords up to February 2022. After selecting articles based on the inclusion criteria, a result meta-analysis was performed. Effect size (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effects model. Also, the I2 test was used to determine the heterogeneity, and the Funnel plot test and Egger’s test were used to determine publication bias. Results: The results of 24 studies on 985 obese children and adolescents showed that exercise caused a significant decrease in serum leptin [SMD=-0.94 (CI:-1.25 to -0.62) p=0.001] but a significant increase in serum adiponectin [SMD=0.85 (CI:0.48 to 1.22) p=0.001]. Also, the meta-regression results showed that the duration and effect of exercise were not significantly correlated with serum leptin levels in obese children and adolescents (r=-0.03, P=0.13) but were significantly correlated with serum adiponectin levels in obese children (r=-0.07, P=0.001). Conclusion: The present study results showed that both types of exercises (resistance and aerobic) reduced the circulating levels of leptin but increased adiponectin in obese children and adolescents.